and Tradition what you have studied for out of Books and old Authors you preach to people and what ye have noted in a Book that you preach by an Hour-glass and not as the Spirit of God gives you utterance and you seek out and enquire after great Benefices and much Money by the year and where there is much Tythes and Gleb-Lands and such like thither and to such a Place you go and seek after to be Minister there and there you remain twenty forty more or fewer years as you can agree with the People and while they will give you so much as will content you and maintain you your Wives and Families as you say respect not whether any be converted to God by your preaching but people remain always in blindness and ignorance generally and without the Knowledg of God for you preach other mens words and what you have collected in your Imaginations from the Saints words an Hour by a Glass leaning upon a soft Cushion and for Money and Hire preaching to the people and this is your manner of practice and Ministry in these Nations but thus did not the Apostles nor Christ's Ministers but the contrary and by your Fruits and Works it appears that you are not Followers of that Spirit that Christ and his Ministers were guided by neither are lawfull Successors of the Apostles but by your Fruits and Practice you manifest that the Lord never sent you nor Christ never called you into his Service to be his Ministers for in all your Practices and in your whole Performances of Worship you differ and do not agree but are contrary to what the Practice and Worship of Christ's Ministers and Churches were in the days of the Apostles this I charge upon you in the Name and by the Authority of the Lord God and am able to prove it against you face to face or otherwise to shew that you are not of the same spirit but contrary to the Saints and Apostles of old and so not true Succeeders of them nor lawful Ministers of Christ as to all people it is and shall be made manifest Thirdly You disagree and are contrary altogether to the true Ministry and to the Apostles in respect of your Maintenance and Wages for the Wages which Christ allowed his Ministers was into whatsoever House they entered that was worthy they might eat such things as are set before them for the Workman saith he is worthy of his Hire and the Apostles eat only of the Fruit of the Vineyard that they had planted and of the Milk of the Flock which they kept by a free gift of the People which they had begotten to the Faith and to whom they sowed spiritual things it was but as a small matter if they reaped their carnal things yet as a free gift they would do it and the Apostle said he would not make the Gospel of Christ chargeable And in this manner were Christ Ministers and Ministry in Wages and Gifts upheld and maintained outwardly in the World But your Practise and Maintenance is not such but contrary as is fully made manifest for you will have so much by the year promised to you in Tythes Money or Gleab-lands or Stipends and of Drunkards and Swearers and prophane Wordly People who are not Sheep of Christ's Flock nor Plants of his Vine-yard you will have so much of each of them and of every man in such a compass as you call your Parish and if any either out of Covetousness or good Conscience cannot pay you you sue at Law and cast into Prison for Wages and spoil their Goods and take treble nay sometimes Five double damage and through Violence and Injustice and Cruelty are you maintained in such a manner and not as the true Ministers and Apostles of Christ were but in a way and manner quite contrary as it is manifest and so herein it is proved that you are not lawful Successors of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ. Fourthly Again you follow not the Apostles and true Ministers of Christ but are contrary to them in Doctrine as this following Volumn will clearly manifest which for this very end is collected from your own Mouths and Pens that all men may see what you are and what you hold and profess and being truely laid down and answered let your selves and all sober men compare your doctrines and sayings with the Doctrines of the Apostles and they may see you agree not with them but are contrary to them And now Friends to all you that profess your selves to be Ministers of the Gospel I do hereby declare unto you in the Name and Authority of the Lord that we have a controversie with you and a great charge against you in all these things in your Call in your Practice and in your Maintenance and in your Doctrines and our Mouthes hath the Lord opened and they cannot be shut from declaring and crying against you as such whom the Lord never sent but are contrary to Christ his Prophets and Apostles in all your Ways and Practices and the Hand of the Lord is certainly against you and his Power and Dread will comeover you and lie upon your Consciences Now Reader whatsoever thou are that reads this following Volumn if thy mind be sober and thy heart right towards God thou may come to a good understanding of the Ground and cause of this great controversie between the Priests and the Professors of this Nation and us who are in scorn called Quakers for it is not unknown to Nations of this great debate and battel now for some years of continuance in this Nation no man can be ignorant what putting in Prisons and what Persecuting and what Preaching and Printing against us and what Reports and Fame hath been through this Nation for some years past and the Quakers so called have written and spoken and printed against the Priests their Worships and Ways and Doctrines and declared against them as Deceivers and false Prophets and such as never were sent of God and on the other hand thus have the Priests and more abundantly cried out against and printed against the Quakers as Hereticks and Deceivers and Witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publickly brought to pass therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great Strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certainty of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit That we have just cause to do and strive against that Generation of Priests and Teachers and that we do nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our Mouthes in this his Spirit and what we were before in our Religion Profession and Practices is well known to that part of the Country
Papists and Prelates which went before them for are not these Ministers maintained by Tythes as the Pope's Ministers were And have they not Hire and great sums of Money by the Year or Quarterly even as the Papists and Prelates had Wherefore it is plain that the Maintenance of your Ministers is the very same for substance as theirs was that went before you which you your selves say were Idolaters and if they were Idolaters how can your Ministers be free which do practice the very same things unto the very fame end And do not the Priests of this Generation far exceed the Papists and Prelates Was there ever in Generations past such casting people into Prison and spoiling peoples Goods as is at this day through the means of these Priests and all about their Maintenance and for their Tythes and Hire and yearly Stipends and quarterly Gain Did ever the Papists or Prelates worse in this particular with any people that denyed them Wages then these do that denyed them Oh! great Blindness and Ignorance is over your hearts and great Hypocrisie among your Ministers who profess a Denyal and Dissenting from the Church of Rome and cry against them as Hereticks and that they are in Ignorance and yet practice the very same things Their Call is the very same to their Ministry and their Maintenance the same and Practice in many things the very same as theirs was which they seem to deny and this is great Hypocrisie to cast out and kill their Persons and yet to uphold in many things their practice relating to their Worship and their Ministry Oh abominable Idolatry the Hand of the Lord is against it But this is not the way that Christ's Ministers were maintained they had no such Hire nor great Sums of Money nor yearly Tythes as these Ministers have through the Pope's Institution But into whatsoever House they entred that was worthy they might eat such things as were set before them and the Apostles might freely reap carnal things where they had sown spiritual things but this was after another manner and after another nature for if they had not that yet did they not cast men into Prison and spoil their Goods that would not give it them as this Generation of Teachers do And the Lord God is risen to confound this Worship and this Ministry which is Idolatry and this Church which is but a feigned Immitation and he will establish his true Worship that is in Spirit and in Truth and his true Ministry that is by the Gift of the Holy Ghost and his true Church and this shall be brought to pass in his Day But again There is another Practice which you have which the Church of Rome and the Prelates had your Predecessors If any come in the Name of the Lord to declare against you and against your Abomination to cry against your Sin and cry Repentance among you that you may be converted to God this you account a great Transgression and persecute them that do it by Imprisoning and Whipping and Stocking and by imposing great Fines upon them and causing them to suffer cruel things and this did the Papists and Prelates in like manner as you do if any were moved to cry against them they indeed rewarded them even as you do at this day the same thing you do against such as are moved of the Lord to come among you and herein you succeed them and bring forth the same Persecution in your Churches as they did in their Churches and this is the defence of your Church and of your Ministry Carnal Weapons Imprisonment and Whipping and Stocking and causing the Bodies of people to suffer through Cruelty and Injustice and by this means is your Church and Ministry defended and preserved or otherwise it would presently fall as not being able to continue nor resist nor gain-say the Spirit and Power of God which now is risen to oppose them if they had not carnal Laws and earthly Powers and Goals and Houses of Correction to defend themselves by And is this the Church of Christ and is this Christ's Ministry that has need of such Weapons as these The Apostles and true Churches never did thus neither sent people to Prison that opposed them nor had such Cruelty to execute upon the Bodies of people though many did oppose them out of Wickedness but the Spirit and Authority of the Lord did defend them from all their Enemies But your church and ministry is manifest to be another then that was and to be defended by another means even by the same means that the Papists and Prelates of old were of a long time defended by but when the measure of these things are fulfilled they will come to an end as the measure of that Generation's Iniquity was fulfilled which went before you so in the Lord's season will your measure be fulfilled and the Lord's People shall be free and all Bonds of Iniquity broken And thus it is manifest that this Church and Ministry succeeds the Church of Rome and her Ministers far more then the Church of Christ and its true Ministers and to that it is not equal in any thing but to the Church of Rome it is comparable in many things so that it is manifest that this Church and Ministry is not quite another then the Church and Ministry of Rome but such as have dissented from them and are truly sprung out of that Root and is the same still in substance though differing in some Practices having cast out some old Inventions and brought in some new but as I have said remain still the same in nature and substance though diffented in some particulars yet succeed in many particulars as I may shew more fully hereafter And though you bare the Name and stile your selves The Reformed Churches you mean reformed from the Church of Rome But how are you reformed but by some visible Appearances and not in the Ground having put off but some of her Garments and remain the same Body for substance in nature and matter though differing only in Appearances For the Church which is the True Church of Christ is not thus reformed only changed in part and altered in degrees but the true Church denyeth the church of Rome in her very Beeing and Ground and in all her Practices whatsoever for though many Sects have risen one from another yet all the same for substunce only differing in particulars But as for you to whom this Particular is written that Worship God in Steeple-Houses you are not so much differing from the church of Rome as many others are which are not true Churches neither but the Lord God is now gathering his people wherefore come out of your Idol-Worship and Idol-Temples for God dwells not in them nor is not worshipped there but he dwells and walks in his Saints and is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and his Day is dawned and his Glory risen and he will confound this church and ministry which bears the
the Day of your Visitation Edward Burroughs This was delivered to them in the Fifth Moneth 1659. TO THE PARLIAMENT Of the Common-Wealth OF ENGLAND The present Authority of these Nations Assembled at WESTMINSTER A Presentation by a faithful Friend to the Nations in the Name and by the Spirit of Jesus Christ King of Righteonsness and Peace That you may take off Oppression and free the People from all their Cruel Bonds that have been imposed upon their Bodies Estates and Consciences in the dayes of the Reign of Antichrist that Truth Justice and Righteousness may come nigh unto us and the Kingdom of the Son of God set up among us that you and we may at last be free Subjects of Christs ' Kingdom where Righteousness Truth and Peace may run down and be established in the Earth for evermore FRIEND IT is acknowledged that the Lord God who rules over all in the Kingdoms of Men hath done Great and Honourable Things by you and with the Face of your Authority in your dayes and since your first appearing on the Throne Mighty Things have been brought to pass in our Nations by the Hand of the Lord insomuch that many Mountains have been abased and many sturdy Oaks have been cut down and many cruel Laws have been made void and even the Way of the Lord and the Way of the coming of his Kingdom hath seemed to be prepared For the kingdom of Antichrist and the Beast and the Whore the false Church hath in many things received a mortal Wound in this Nation and there hath been divers times the fair Blossoms of the Glorious Appearance of Truth Righteousness and Peace and there have been many fair Promises and Pretences made by many of you like as if the Kingdom of Jesus had been at our Door ready to have entred our Nations whereby many good Hopes we have had to have been made a perfect free People ere this day from the Chains of Antichrist and the Whore the' false Church and from every Branch thereof and that we might have sitten together in Peace and Unity and in Freedom from all the Opressions of our Enemies But Alas alas This Glorious Work of Reformation hath bin interrupted before our eye and the precious Buds and good Appearance of Glorious Fruits have been withered and blasted in our sight so that our good Hopes have perished and our Freedom hath been intercepted through the Evil-dealing of many unfaithful men so that Antichrist's kingdom hath not been utterly rooted out nor the oppressive Laws of the Whore the false Church wholy broken down but the rather have seemed to be revived again and the Kingdom of the Son of God hath been warred against and Truth Righteousness and just Judgment hath been kept out of the Throne and the Lamb and his Army and Followers have been opposed by open and secret Rebellion so that though there hath been appearances of good Things now and then yet ever and anon Clouds and Darkness have overshaddowed the Nations again and the good Hopes of Faithful People have been driven backwards and Reformation stopped and your own Vows Promises and Pretences have remained unfulfilled and we are yet an Oppressed People and the Cause of this hath been from some unfaithful men that have neglected the good Work of the Lord once intrusted with them and have sought themselves and their own Honours and Interests and have sitten down at Ease and Rest in the Flesh glorying in the Spoil of their Enemies and thereby have they become unfaithful and unprofitable in carrying on the Lord's Work for some have been of a sincere Mind for a season and made a good Progress towards the attaining a Kingdom of Righteousness and the removing of all Oppressions yet when they have begun to seek themselves in this World and to take unto themselves the Honours and Titles and possessions of their Enemies whom the Lord cast out before them and so have become guilty of their Enemies Sins then they have been choaked and the good Work of the Lord by them could not prosper but it hath fallen in their hands even because of their Apostacy whom the Lord hath removed in his Wrath which to you all may be Examples that ye follow not their steps For for these Causes I tell you hath the True Reformation been turned backward and the Work of the Lord remained unfinished insomuch that Oppression Injustice and Tyranny yet remains upon the People and Ten Thousand lie groaning under the Yoak and Bondage of Antichrist and of the Whore the false Church in Persons Estates and Consciences and are ready to depart out of all good Hope and Confidence That they shall never see through you the finishing of that long since begun good Work of Perfect Reformation and Freedom from all Oppressions And amongst the many Great Oppressions and Cruel Burdens yet remaining in our Nation there is at this day one particular Oppression abounding under which Thousands of the free People of the Lord of these Nations lie unjustly suffering in their Bodies Estates and Consciâ—nces to wit This way of forced Maintenance of the Ministry by Tythes and Money and Yearly Stipends which many are violently forced to pay through Oppression and contrary to Equity and because hereof is God not well-pleased with you but his Wrath is kindled already for the Cry of the Unjustly Afflicted under this one Oppression hath entred into his Ear and he will be avenged speedily even because of the Oppression of his People in this very particular who cannot out of a Good Conscience pay Tythes or Money or any other thing contrary to Equity to the maintaining of this Ministry and these Ministers which they receive no benefit by neither are under their Ministry And forasmuch as this way of maintaining Ministers and Ministry by Force is wholy Antichristian and of the Whore the false Church and never was in the true Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes neither did ever Christ or his Apostles give Institution or Example for such way of Maintenance to Christ's Ministers but being that this way of forced Maintenance by Tythes and Money and Yearly-Stipends is come up long since the Apostles dayes and is the very Institution of the false Church of Rome and was first practized by her Authority in our Nation and by the same Spirit at this day this Oppression remaineth amongst us and likewise it is wholy unreasonable That one sort of people should be compelled to maintain anothers Ministers whom they do not hear nor receive their Ministry And also this way of maintenance is one of the greatest Oppressions in our Nation and many Hundreds of my Brethren have suffered great Oppression thereby some the loss of Estates and many the loss of their Liberties some the loss of their Lives also insomuch that this Oppression is fully ripe to be cut down and removed out of our Land Wherefore it lies upon me from the Lord to request it of you and to
could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular Operations and Manifestations of the everlasting Spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum Life and Immortality was brought to light Power from on High and Wisdom was made manifest the Day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy Anointing the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of Glory was born and the Heir of the Promise brought forth to Reign over the Earth and over Hell and Death whereby we entered into everlasting Union and Fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose Mercies are sure and infinite and his Promise never fails and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from Death to Life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren Mountains into the Fold of eternal Peace and Rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own out-stretched Arm. And thus we became Followers of the Lamb whithersoever he goes and he hath called us to make war in righteousness for his Name sake against Hell and Death and all the Powers of Darkness and against the Beast and false Prophet which have deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal Seed Elect Chosen and Faithful and we war in Truth and just Judgment not with Weapons that are carnal but by the Sword that goes out of his Mouth which shall slay the Wicked and cut them to pieces and after this manner was our Birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the Wicked do fear and tremble and our Standard is Truth Justice Righteousness Equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that Banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquer'd by Hell or Death or by the Powers of Darkness but the Lord shall be their Armour Weapon and Defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the Victory over the Beast and over the Dragon and over the Gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with Power Strength and Wisdom and Dominion according to his Mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his Work and put his Sword into our hands and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the Word from his Mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to preach to the Inhabitants of the Earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his Work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we preacht not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the World behold it was altogether Darkness and even as a Wilderness and desolate and barren of good Fruit and Death reigned over men and no good Fruit was brought forth to God but Leaves we beheld upon every Soul and all men and people were made drunk with the Wine of Whoredoms and the Whores Cup they had drunk and was committing Fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the Earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his Power and set up his Government over all for many Ages even since the days of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reign'd while the Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness and the Man-Child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the Sheeps cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Woolf and Iohn saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the World and deceived the World and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the Sheeps Cloathing but inwardly a Ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we behold Nations as a Wilderness untilled and mens Hearts as the fallow Ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good Seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the Light of the Spirit of God which had Anointed us we behold it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the days of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Ministry of Christ in the days of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and Maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and Deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the Spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publick Ministry as now it stands generally is wholy degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differs and is contrary in all things to what Christ's Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false Prophets and Deceivers were thoughout all Ages and this I charge upon it in the face and view of all men to whom this may come for this we saw concerning it in the beginning and our first assurance And as for other Places and Orders of men and Callings we saw them also corrupted and degenerated and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people and blindness and darkness covered the face of the Earth and of the World and all people were in their Transgressions and making void the Law of God and that it was time for the Lord to work and to arise to ease himself of his Adversaries and as for all Churches so called and Professions and Gatherings of people we beheld you as all in the Apostacy and degeneration from the true Church not being gathered by the Spirit of the Lord nor anointed thereby as the true Members of Christ ever were but to be in a
the Holy Ghost Ans. His words are utterly false yet we say we have received the Holy Ghost which teacheth us and leadeth us into all truth and by it are we lead out of all Wickedness and Delusion and all wicked speeches which he brands us withall and these things are his own for he is seen to be in delusion and odious wickedness and wicked speeches And saith he They speak against the DOCTRINE of the SPIRIT and cryes down the love of the Saints and against the Ordinances of the Ministers of Christ. To this I have answered In the love and union with all the Saints we are and Ministers of Christ but against Hypocrisie we declare such who profess what they are not and use their tougues and saith the Lord saith when the Lord hath not spoken to them and sprinkle Infants and saith it is an Ordinance of Christ and singing Davids experiences in Rime and Meeter with many other things which the Priests hath in their practice such things we deny to be Ordinances of Christ and them to be Ministers of Christ which do practice them and this we do say by the Spirit of Truth But that we pronounce damnation against Gods Church and holy Servants this is false again and is but the fulfilling the number of his lyes and though he charge us secretly with preaching another Gospel then that which Paul preached is false and if we duely examine it will be he that will be found preaching another Gospel whose practice is found in many things contrary to them who were Ministers of the true Gospel and so the curse pronounced by the Apostle will fall upon him and not upon us in the day of Judgement 21. His one and twentieth Reason Saith he The Quakers themselves renounce 〈◊〉 words the Ranters and Papists as a deluded sort Answer To which I answer and say Yea not only in words but in lives lives also we utterly abhor the Ranters and Papists both in profession and practice and do know that Rich. Baxter is of the same spirit though differing in words But saith he The Ranters and Drunkards cryes out against the same Ministers same exercise and godly people as the Quakers do To which I answer What the Ranters and Drunkards may do in their wickedness and unclean spirits is one thing and what we do in the fear of God and tender love to peoples Souls is another thing but how uncharitable is this man in his judgment Let us try him as if I should say The Ranters and Drunkards and Prophane and all ungodly People they are our Enemies and do oppose and gainsay the Way of God and the people called Quakers and they Beat them and Reproach them and Slander them and doth much cruelty unto them and thus doth Richard Baxter of Kidderminster he reviles them and reproaches them and belyes them and therefore he is one with the Ranters and Drunkards and prophane people and he holds part of the Papists Ranters and Drunkards doctrine and practice And thus he is judged with his own Rule according as 〈◊〉 hath judged us by the same Rule and now say I as well as he of us Let any man judge that hath not forsworn all wit and reasons whether it is likely the Holy Ghost will inspire Richard Baxter and a company of Priests of Englâ—… to acquaint them with the same Points Doctrines and Practices which the Papists Ranters Drunkards and all prophane people exercise themselves in for as all they are Enemies to the Quakers so is he and his company Aâ—… farther I ask him Whether the same things be heavenly in Rich. Baâ—… and his company which be hellish in the Ranters and Drunkards And whether Richard Baxter hath not condemned himself and the Priests of England in condemning the Papists and Ranters and Drunkards and prophane people in acting the very same things to wit speaking against reproaching reviling and slandering and backbiting an innocent people of God called Quakers 22. His two and twentieth Reason And saith he If I have any Reason to 〈◊〉 weary of the Christian Catholick Reformed Religion what reason have I to turn Quaâ—… more then to any other Sect Why saith he how do they prove they are more in the riâ—… then any other c. Ans. To all this I answer this is according to his knowledge who sees 〈◊〉 difference between good and evil between such as serveth God and such as serves him not and how can this man be a Teacher of others that is so blind himself The true Christian Religion he is out of and in a Sect whose fruiâ—… are as bad as the Papists or Familists or any others for I believe not the worâ—â— of Sects could have brought forth more lyes and slanders and scoffing worâ—â— in one sheet of paper then he hath done in this which now I deal withal And as for our proof that we are in the right way to every man that hath an eye to see and an ear to hear and an heart to conceive it 's easie to be proved and such are satisfied but as for Unbelievers and Persecutors such as himself they must hear and see and not perceive and understand 23. His three and twentieth Reason Saith he The way by which they prâ—… is not producing any evidence for they renounce that and offers all from the Autâ—… of the spirit within them c. Ans. The way by which we prevail is by the the Spirit of the Lord which 〈◊〉 within us and that was the way whereby all the Ministers of Christ evâ—… prevailed by the authority of that But yet this is false we do not deny 〈◊〉 produce Evidence but is sufficiently able and hath done it to produce Eviâ—… out of the Scriptures to prove all things which we profess or practice for Religion But saith he They must prove their Commission by Divine miracles before 〈◊〉 reasonable man can believe it c. many that fear God and are in the 〈◊〉 Reason hath Believed us already and do see the Mighty Wonders of Goâ—… brought to passe and it cannot be believed by Richard Baxter no more 〈◊〉 Christ was believed of the Pharisees in whom the mighty Power of God 〈◊〉 made manifest for though he did miracles yet this Generation could not believe them And he tells of some that said he was 〈◊〉 so might they well do and not lye his blindness is made manifest at largâ—… And saith he But can I see the Witness in them that saith they have the Witness in themselves Nay because thou art an Unbeliever thou canst not but it thou wert a Believer in Christ thou wouldst feel the same Testimony in the Brethren but by thee we are not known and therefore by thee are falsly Judged for no other Testimony do we give or hold forth but the same which the Apostles did which we have received from Christ as the Apostles did and not by any authority of our own though he falsly says it but by the Authority
their Countries and Relations and wandred up and down the World from Town to Town and from one Country to another even as the Servants of the Lord do by the same Spirit at this day who can no more be truly judged for Vagabonds and Rogues c. than Christ and his Apostles could be who were a perfect example to us in these things For it is a lawful occasion in the Sight of God whatever you judge of it to travel up and down not being burthen some or chargeable to any to beat witness for the Name of the Lord and against all Sin and Iniquity that people may be reformed and instructed in the right way Therefore you must make a special distinction in your Judgement between such as are Rogues and idle and dissolute persons who are hurtful to the Creation and such as are innocent and harmless and not of evil behaviour though you may through prejudice otherwise judge of them this is to inform you herein that your Judgments may be according to God and not according to man neither with respect of persons Also you have another late Act for the Observation of the Lord's-Day wherein is inserted That none shall wilfully maliciously or of purpose disturb or disquiet the publick Preacher or to make any publick Disturbance in the Congregation Now the Law is good and it is right that all such be punished who do malitiously wilfully or of an evil purpose disturb or disquiet any man or people to the danger of breach of publick Peace and let all such be punished according to their desert But yet you must take heed in this cause for many of the Servants of the Lord are and may be moved by the Power of the Lord to come into a Congregation or an Assembly of People to declare against Sin and Iniquity and the Wayes of Wickedness in People or to ask a Question soberly of the Teacher or to instruct People to Edification in the Way of the Lord or such like may they do as they are moved â—nd yet not maliciously nor wilfully nor of wicked purpose for it was the Apostles Practice and the Practice of the Saints to go in the Synagogues and Meeting-places and to dispute with the Teachers on the Sabbath-days and sometimes they spoke to the people by way of Exhortation and the people bid them speak on and yet these were not Disturbers of the Assembly neither were they malicious men or wilful neither did they these things to any evil purpose and it was the Practise of the Saints that all may speak one by one in the Church when they were assembled together and this is the Practise of the Servants of the Lord now and yet they cannot justly be condemned by your Law though they come into your Assembly as they are moved of the Lord to object or reprove or exhort for they do it not in malice towards any but in love towards all and they can no more justly be condemned than the Apostles and Saints in the Primitive times who were unto us a just example in these Practises as you may read in the Scripture and you may as justly condemn them as us who are guided by the same spirit in the same things Therefore you have need to take heed of condemning the Innocent by a Law lest you bring innocent blood upon you and you must make a perfect difference between such as comes among you Wilfully and maliciously and on evil purpose to disturb and molest any man or Congregation and such who comes in the Name and Fear of the Lord who are moved of him contrary to their own wills anâ—â—h love to all people And in these causes you have need of discerning and sound judgement lest you condemn the guiltless and abuse your power and subvert the Law and so bring condemnation upon your selves And as you will answer it before the Lord in his dreadfull day cause not any to suffer through your envy and surmizings or false suspition through over-reaching the words of the Law to a wrong sense and to a wrong end Also it is inserted in the same Act against many evil things 〈◊〉 drinking in Taverns Inns Ale-houses Strong-water-houses or to Tipple unnecessarily or any other house c. and also against travelling and walking on that day vainly and prophanely c. Now the Law is good that evil exercise be prevented and prophaneness in every respect on that day and on every day and that such be punished that are found in any evil exercise whatsoever But yet you must take heed that none of the Innocent suffer hereby for many of the people of God may and do travel on that day to meet together to worship God and to wait upon him to find his presence and to receive of his refreshments to their souls But this cannot be judged an evil practise or prophane travelling or breach of the Sabbath For we read of a Sabbath-days Journey Acts 1. and 12. where some of the Servants of the Lord returned from Ierusalem to Mount Olivet which is a Sabbath-dayes Journey so that such who now travels to wait upon the Lord on that day though it be several Miles to and from the place of Meeting cannot justly be judged to be Sabbath-breakers no more than the Apostles who travelled a Sabbath-days Journey in obedience to the Lord to wait upon him So that you must take heed and make a noted distinction betwixt such who travel on a profane and an evil exercise or about the affairs of this World and such who travel on a good exercise to wait upon the Lord and to serve him For the Law it self excepts such from being taken up or judged Sabbath-breakers So take heed that you subvert not the Law and abuse your power through false judgement through your own envy and so you smite the guiltless and brings destruction upon your selves For herein we own the Law of God to walk by and the Apostles for an example though we may suffer unjustly by you Also there is a late Act for Discovering and Repressing of Popish Recusants by presenting to such as are Popish or Popishly affected an Oath as is therein described To renounce the Pope's Authority and to deny all his Doctrines and to testifie against the Authority of the Church of Rome and against any Licence given thereby to bear Arms or raise Tumults or by Violence to hurt the chief Magistrate or Government of these Nations c. And such as deny the taking of that Oath are to be adjudged Popish Recusants and to be proceeded against accordingly Now that Law is good That such who are adherent to the Pope and by his Authority would raise Armies and Tumults and offer Violence to the Hurt of the chief Magistrate or Government or people of these Nations c. as it is signified in the said Oath should be discovered and repressed But yet you must take heed and wait for sound Judgment in the Prosecution of the same For
any honest man that is Spiritual who hath an Understanding to judge hereof Now I suppose themselves none of them are so ignorant as they will say The Scriptures are that WORD which was in the Beginning and which shall Endure forever But say they the Scriptures are another Word a Declarative Word or such like termes Now when we dispute or contend with any about the Word of God we dispute what that Word is which the Scripture saith is the Word and do deny that Word to be the Scriptures Writings though still we do own the Scriptures a Declaration of that very WORD of GOD and that the Scriptures in any place do call themselves the Word or signifie so much I do deny it and it is left for any of our Opposers to prove it that can if they do I will confess it to be the Word and revoke all that I have spoken to the contrary And as for thy Deductions and Consequences drawn from my words I do deny them for they are not to me but will turn upon thy self for thou sayest A strange kind of Assertion as if nothing of the Mind Will and Counsel of God were declared in the Scripture And whitherto can be the tendency of such giddy Doctrines then to a weakening of the Authority of the Scriptures and begetting Slightings and undervaluing Thoughts and that the effects may be lightly esteeming the Scriptures These and such Deductions hast thou drawn through thy Ignorance from my words from all which I am clear as having no Intent to any such things nor any Intent but to testifie to the Pure Innocent TRUTH And thy Deductions are far more ignorant and impudent then my Assertion is strange and let thy Consequences be what they will from my words the truth of my words will justifie me in the Sight of God and his Saints for I do honour the Scriptures above other Writings and give them the Authority and Esteem and Respect due unto them and more I dare not And some of thy pages I pass over as not worth taking notice of only I do say Thou hast wronged me in not relating so much as was spoken by us by far and in relating more then was spoken by thee or thy Party And the next thing I note is this where R. G. said he would and went about to prove That the Letter is the Word of God but was not nor is ever able to prove and thou hast changed the words of his Argument in thy Relation from what they were as he laid them down in the Dispute from called to owned for thus his words were laid down at that time said he That which Christ and the Apostles called the Word of God is indeed the Word of God but Christ and the Apostles called the Scriptures the Word of God Ergo. Now I denied and do yet that it can be proved That ever Christ and the Apostles called the Scriptures the WORD of GOD and neither do thy Proofs now nor his then of the minor Proposition prove That the Scriptures viz. the Writing were ever called the Word although it be true that the Pharisees made the Word of God of no Authority by their Traditions But that Scripture doth not say That the Letter is the Word which thing he was to prove or else he said nothing to the purpose And as to the other Scripture 1 Thes. 1. 13. that will not prove that the Apostle called the Letter the Word for it was the Gospel which they received as the Word of God and not the Letter The Gospel is the Word of God not denied by me but sealed unto but the Gospel is not the Letter and Writings but the Gospel is the Thing written of and that is it which the Apostle means to be the Word of God for that is the Word which he preached to the Thessalonians and which they received And so thy Arguments and Proof of thy minor Position is deny'd and so the major Position falls to the Ground And by this nor any other Argument can all you Priests of England prove the Letter of the Scriptures to be the Word of God which thing R. G. took in hand to prove but could not and would have cry'd against it in me as a great deal of Heresie for denying it but Error is fallen upon his own Head The next thing I note is in pag. 13. where thou wouldst seem to cover over R. G. thou sayest his words were not That I had the thing signified in my hand when I had the Bible but that I had that which declares of it Now to justifie him in Evil thou hast wronged me and the Truth for he did say when I held up my Bible I had in my hand the thing herein signified upon this very Occasion I holding up my Bible in my hand and saying to this very effect That in my hand I had the thing which did signifie in words of such and such things but I had not the thing signified And Richard Goodgrom made answer and said But I had the Thing signified and this some can witness Whereupon I made answer and said If it be so that I have the Thing signified in my hand then I have God and Christ and the Spirit and Heaven and Hell and Men and Beasts and all things that herein are written of and then he saw the Folly of his own Ignorance I perceive And much more might be related as upon this Subject which was said on both Parties which I desire not much to recollect only what I have said I can certainly remember and can justifie it And I must confess that Philip Taverner hath done pretty fairly though in some things he hath not done so And no was to the next thing charged against me in the Relation being placed the second though it is the third That evil Motions not consented to were not sin In the first private Meeting I remember my words were laid down thus and so I own'd them in the Dispute That Temptations or Motions unto evil are not sin to any man who doth not consent and obey to serve Temptations or evil Motions and they are not sin to the man except they be consented to by the man and this was proved in the Example of Christ who was tempted of the Devil and had motions to do evil yet did not consent nor commit sin for he resisted and overcame the Tempter and so the Devil's Motions and Temptations which were sin in themselves yet they were not sin to Him And this Proof then they could not deny neither can any sober or upright Man And so in the Dispute the thing was put to a farther Question thus But are not those Motions which arise out of a Man 's own Heart Sin except they be consented to To which I was willing to speak something and to own the very TRUTH and to justifie that there is a State wherein Evil Motions may rise out of a Man 's own Heart which are
his sight And 1 Pet. 1. 25. The Apostle exhorted the Christians to be holy in all manner of Conversation And Phil. 3. 20. the Christians witnessed That their conversations were in Heaven Now herein doth the fall of Christians appear in respect of their Life and Conversation and walking for the Christians in the Apostles dayes were of a holy Life and exhorted all thereunto but the Christians now both Teachers and People are degenerate in their conversation and live in all Unrighteousness as I have said And the Conversation of Christians now being compared with what the Christians Conversation was then it is altogether contrary and sheweth That though you have the Name of Chrisâ—… ye are not Followers of Christ nor led by his Spirit but by the spirit of Antichrist Oh how wofully are you fallen you Christians from the Life of Christ having a Name to live but are dead The Lord God is coming against you to break you to pieces for you have poluted his Name in that you profess to be his People in words but in works do deny him Oh! Remember remember from whence you are fallen and return lest the Anger of God consume you from off the Earth for your conversations greatly dishonour the true God Oh what Gluttonny and Drunkenness is amongst Christians What Pride and Vain-glory What Cruelty Envy and Murdeâ— one against another what Whoredoms and Fornication what Cozening what Cheating How doth all Wickedness abound amongst you in your lives and conversations Let the Lord be Witness and your own consciences be Witnesses against you for your Abominations they that were true Christians who followed Christ lived not in but were redeem'd from such Transgressions but you live in them and act in them wherefore be ye Witnesses against your selves that ye are fallen and digressed from the true Christian Estate Again Herein will you Christians appear to be degenerated from 〈◊〉 Christianity in respect of your Ministry for the Ministers of Christ in the beginning of Christianity they were made Ministers by the Gift of thâ— Holy Spirit which was given to them for they were commanded to wait at Ierusalem for the Promise of the Father and they were not to go forth till they had received Power from God by the Gift of his holy Spirit and when that was come they should be Witnesses and Ministers of Christ Acts 1. 4 8. And as they were waiting with one accord in one place the Holy Ghost fell amongst them an filled them and then they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance and they went up and down and testified to the World of what they had heard and seen Acts 2. 4. Now this was the Call of Christian Ministers and this 〈◊〉 the Authority by which they went forth into the World to wit The Spirit of God poured upon them and by Authority of this only they went up and doâ—… the World and declared what they had handled seen and tasted of the Word of Life 1 Iohn 1. And as every man had received the Gift so they might minister the same one to another 1 Pet. 4. 10. And this was the Practice of the Christian Ministers in the beginning of Christianity concerning their Câ—â— to the Ministry But how are the Christians here degenerated from what the Apostles were in for by another way then this are your Ministers made not by the Gift of the Holy Ghost received from God neither do the Christians now wait for such a thing to go forth by Authority and Power thereof but they are made Ministers by Natural Learning and Education at Schools having Authority by man and are approved of man and not of God And a man knoweth which of his children he will make a Minister when they are Infants and thereupon puts him to Schools to learn Arts and Knowledge of Earthly things for so long time till he hath gain'd so much Knowledge and Craft to be approved of such and such men and as is his Knowledge and Oportunity serves withal having a great Place provided where there is great store of Maintenance such a man becomes a Minister and a Preacher to others having never received nor thought to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost neither having heard seen tasted nor handled any thing of the Word of Life from God in his own particular neither hath he received the Gift of Christ to be made a Minister by This sheweth greatly your Degeneration from the true Christian Spirit none then Ministers among Christians but them who had received the gift by the Holy Ghost and power from on high but now Ministers are made and approved and sent forth amongst Christians because of natural learning and education without receiving the Gift of the holy Spirit And the Ministers of Christ then spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance but now Ministers study for what they speak and read old Authors to gather forth Matter to preach to the people Then the Christian Ministers heard and tasted and handled of the Word of Life in themselves but now the Ministers have their Knowledge from Books and what they have heard and read without them Oh! How great is your Apostacy ye Christians and in respect of your Ministry how greatly are you degenerated from the Ministry which the Christians once had Behold and consider this all ye Christians upon Earth Your Ministry is proved not to agree but rather to be contrary to that Ministry which was amongst Christians in the purity of Christianity as here by is manifest and you are fallen from the Ministry made by the Gift of the holy Ghost to a Ministry made by natural Learning Consider all ye Christians how great is this Fall Again In respect of the Maintenance of your Ministry your Degeneration doth appear for the Ministers of Christ amongst Christians as they were called by the Spirit so they were maintained in the Work of their Ministry by the 〈◊〉 Gift of the people who received their Ministry and they were to give freely and minister freely as they had received freely Mat. 10. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 7. The Apostle preached the Gospel of God freely and would not make it chargeable to any 1 Cor. 9. 18. And the Ministers of Christ among Christians at that day went through the World and preached freely the things that they had received from God and they sought no mans Money nor Gold nor Appâ—â—el Acts 20. 33. And saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 14. I seek not yours but 〈◊〉 and that was their end altogether to bring people to God by their Ministry only Christ did allow Luke 6. 4. Into whatsoever House they entred that was worthy 〈◊〉 might there abide eating and drinking such things as were set before them And it â—…s the Apostles practice sometimes to reap carnal things where they had sown Spiritual things and it was a small matter that they did so Yet by a free Gift they desir'd to reap it and not by Force and Violence did they
made clean unto this were they nourished and brought up out of Darkness and from under the shaddow of Death But notwithstanding this the Christians now have rebell'd against the Lord and do rebel against him And though the Lord hath been unto them as an Owner to the Ox and as a Crib to the Ass even as thus hath the Lord been unto the Christians yet they know it not neither do the Christians consider but are indeed grown sinful and laden with Iniquity and the feed of Evil-doers brings sorth its fruit through Christians being become children that are Corrupters having forsaken the Lord and his Way which was made mantfest in the dayes of the Apostles and the Lord is greatly provoked for the Christians are gone backward from what they were in their beginning as I have fully made manifest And this Vision of the Lord is unto you all ye Christians even as a 〈◊〉 that is of the most precious Seed and the most noble Vine that is planted in a good Sâ—…â—…at is digged and dressed and grown to a goodly stature and bringing â—…th some acceptable Fruit unto the good Husbandman for a season yet this Tree becomes blasted by an unwholesome Air and becomes degenerate from its vertue and property and nature and becomes a wild Vine and a Plaâ—… of great Disgrace ceasing to bring forth any good Fruit and becomes fruitful iâ— all evil and the Labour of the good Husbandman is lost for while he looâ— for good Fruit nothing appears but Fruit of an evil Taste which is altogether loathsome unto the good Husbandman This Parable is unto you Christians and this is your state and your condition Therefore behold What shall the Lord do unto this Tree Shall he nor cut it down to the ground and call it into the purging Fire Shall he not lay his Ax to the Root and cause all its Branches utterly to wither and cause it to cease in beeing even as it hath ceased in bringing forth Fruit Shall not the goâ—… Husbandman destroy this 〈◊〉 with all its corrupt fruit And shall not his own Hand accomplish the Purpose of his own Heart This Tree shall be Fuel for this Fire of his Anger he will pluck it up and not plant it again because it is degenerated Give ear all ye Christians to the Testimony which is concerning you You are fallen you are fallen and being compared to what the Christians were you are in 〈◊〉 equal but are diverted in all your Practices from that Spirit which led the Apostles 〈◊〉 Christian Churches and your works shew another Spirit then the Spirit of Iesus Wherefore great is your Fall and to be lamented and though you have the name of Christians yet you want the Life An Objection But whereas it may be objected by some and said Seeing the State of Christianity is thus descovered what it was in its beginning and purity and what it now is in its degeneration and seeing the present State of Christians is thus condemned what do I believe concerning the state of Christianity to come What shall succeed this present Degeneration And may it be expected that ever Christianity shall be restor'd to that state of Purity as it was in its beginning And whether may people expect to come into the same Life again and to know the same power and Worship and Unity which was amongst the Apostles and first Christian Churches And whether do I judge that ever the Ministry can again be receiv'd by the Gift of the holy Spirit only without natural Learning and Languages And whether the same Spirit is to be waited for and receiv'd And whether the same Anointing can be known in this Age or any Age to come as it was in and among the Apostles and Christians before the Apostacy and Degeneration Answ. To all this I answer and do say That the present state of Christianity is woful and to be condemned of the Lord as being degenerated from his Life Power and Spirit whereby all hearts are darkened and all minds estranged from the Covenant of Life and Peace and from the sence and feeling of the Life of God and now in all the Wayes and Worships and Practices of Christians they are fallen and degenerated from that Life in which the Christians once were and the Beast hath raigned over all for many Ages and because of his Power and Greatness and Dominion who hath been able to make war with him he hath killed the Saints and hath subjected all Nations under his power and every Nation hath received the Mark of the Beast and born his Image for Generations and all Flesh hath stagger'd and hath been made drunk with the cup of Fornication that hath been in the hand of the Whore who hath sate upon this Beast who hath caused both small and great to worship him and all that would not he hath had power to kill them And this Government hath ruled over the whole Christendom and the Worship practiced hath been but the Worship of the Beast while people have been err'd from the Spirit of Christ and not guided by it only And people have been compelled to Worship by Laws of Men they have been compelled to sprinkle their Infant and they have been compelled to go to Steeple-houses and compelled to keep a Sabboth and compelled to hire Priests and to pay them Wages against their wills And all this compelling by an outward Power hath not been the Worship of God but savour'd altogether of the Worship of the Beast for you may read Rev. 13. 12 15 16 17. how the Beast caused all both Small and Great to worship him and all that would not worship him by his power he hath had power to kill them And all compelling and causing to worship by an outward Power is the worship of the Beast for Christ nor his Apostles never caused any to worship God by an outward power For while Christianity kept its Purity and Authority they begot People to God and to worship him by the Word of God and by the power of the Spirit and they did not bring any into their Sect nor to worship with them by an outward Law and Authority for that is in the Government of the Beast it was he that first caused both small and great to conform to his worship and it is his power that upholds it and maintains it unto this day But now the Seed of God is arising which is able to make war with the Beast and his Kingdom and his Worship shall be thrown down to the ground and all this causing and compelling to Worship causing to keep a Day and causing to hire Teachers to maintain them and this causing to go to Steeple-houses and to maintain them and all this causing to pay Tythes it shall fall to the ground and be beat down by the Seed of God which is arising and they shall be no more found among true Christians nor the Beast shall not be worshipped nor his Authority any more of
heady and high-minded men and covetous and Proud and went in the way of Balaam for Gifts and Rewards and that through Covetousness with feigned words made Merchandize of Souls And are not you like them that Iohn saw were coming in in his dayes That went out from them and that went into the world that were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them and which the World went after and are not you of them that have deceived the whole World that hath been of the Whore that hath caused all Nations to drink her Cup and of them that have made War against the Saints and against the Lamb of that stock of the false Prophets that wrought Miracles in the sight of the Beast and the World wonders after the Beast and the Beast hath carried the Whore and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him and the Whore caused all to drink of the Cup of her Fornication Are not these things so may not the Witness of God in all mens Consciences truly answer hereunto and condemn you to be such as were the false Prophets and the Hirelings and the Deceivers against whom the Prophets Christ and the Apostles gave witness Yea it is manifest that you are in the same way and of the same Generation and that you follow the same spirit because you shew forth the same works And are not you like the Papists and the Iesuits was it not by the Authority of the Pope of Rome that your very way of making Ministers was ordained at Schools and Colledges and was it not the Papists and in their dayes that the general part of your Church-Discipline and Government the Call of your Ministers and Practise of them and Maintenance of them was it not first set up by the Papists Was not this way of Tythes first established by the Church of Rome and do not you follow the Papists herein in receiving Tythes and Gleab-lands and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues which you hold up and would destroy them that will not give you such things and therefore are not you like the Papists and Jesuits yea we know that the Church of England is but newly come out of the Womb of Popery and hath the Symptoms thereof upon her at this very day in many things yea the Testimony of God in all people may witness hereunto And so it is the very trick of the Whore to cry out against others and to charge others with that which she is guilty of her self but now it will not cover them to slander others that themselves may seem clear for the Lord is opening peoples Hearts and giving them a Spirit to discern all things And whereas the Author speaks against the Quakers for crying against Cuffs Caps and for using Thee and Thou and for crying against Pulpits and Hour-Glasses and for such things and for owning Revelation and for holding the free Grace of God to be given unto all and because of Trembling and Quaking and saying Our Writings are given forth by the same infallible Spirit that the Scriptures were given out by and for crying down the Ministers Maintenance and for calling some of them Vipers and Serpents To all this I answer It is your Generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou and Cuffs and Caps for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper Language thee and thou to a single Person and it is the proud and exalted Minds of Men that are offended hereat which Pride and Arrogancy hath eaten out the very Sincerity and the property of Speech also and you are offended at us because of it and for crying against your Cuffs and Boot-hose-tops and Ribbands and Points we cry against all these things as not becoming the Ministers of Christ but as being of the World in the Pride and Vanity and Superfluity abusing the Creation which the Lord will judge among you And as for having an hour-Glass and preaching thereby and as for your carnal Bells which you call people by we do disown these things and say They are old popish inventions for the Ministers of Christ never limitted their spirits to an hour-Glass neither had they a carnal Bell to call people to their Worship and as for Revelation we do own that the Spirit of God doth reveal Truth to us and God hath revealed Christ in us and none ever shall know God but by Revelation For none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And as for Free Grace we say The Grace of God hath appeared to all men and it teacheth the Saints to deny Ungodliness but the Wicked turns it into wantonness and doth dispite unto the Spirit of Grace and we also say That who now speaks or are moved to write forth by the Spirit of God they speak and write by the same Spirit that is infallible that the Scriptures were given forth by And as for your Maintenance it is altogether Abominable and Oppression to the Nation and the Lord is against it your taking Peoples Goods and casting them into Prison that will not pay you Wages and give you Tythes against their Consciences And be not offended at being called Vipers and Serpents for these are the Works of venemous Vipers and stinging Serpents which persecute the Servants of God and cryes to the Magistrates for help against a poor People that useth no Weapons at all against you saving that of the Spirit of God and though we do thus to you to the false Ministers to cry against them and give our witness against them in the Name of the Lord yet we do not deny the true Ministers of Christ nor speak any thing against them which are the true Ministers that have received the Ministry of Righteousness by the Gift of the holy Spirit which all that are true Ministers do receive their Ministry thereby And whereas thou sayest we are bitter Enemies to the Doctrine of Iustification and agree with the Cavelierish Party and would silence godly Ministers and are Iâ—suitical and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us and that we have a not able faculty to delude ignorant unstable Souls c. Answ. These are but the Author's Reproaches and his Slanders he hath filled his Mouth with against the Innocent and he hath set his Tongue on the Fire of Hell to slander the â—ust and the Innocent and all these things we bear in patience counting Reproaches for Christ our chiefest Riches and thus to the substance of this Paper I have given an answer whereby all that love the Lord and desire to be informed in the Truth may receive satisfaction for it is seen that that Generation of Priests are joyned with the prelatical Cavelierish Party and this is known at large in the Nation in the North especially and so as I said they would fain slander others that themselves might seem clear but the Lord will rebuke him and his lying Tongue and the Innocent shall be delivered
of Answer for the end that People may be satisfied concerning things doubtfull which are in controversie this day among many for it is well known the Controversie hath been long and is grown very high between us and you concerning Church Ministry and Religion and divers things in your Exhortation are doubtfull unto many and that all doubts may be removed if possible therefore I do return what follows as an answer unto you Whereas you say You are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions wherewith the carnal World is leavened concerning you Calling Office and Doctrines and what Clamors and fiery Contentions abound for them every where that pleads Christ's Cause in the Gates c. Answ. As for your Calling Office and Doctrine there is much to be said against them in and by the Spirit of the Lord for your Calling and Office is not according to the Example of Scriptures though the Calling and Office of Ministers of the Gospel hath Example in the Scripture yet as you are called into your Office that is not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures And as for your Doctrine it is in some things unsound also Now as for Seasonable Exhortations of Ministers to People I do acknowledge that it is a Duty which ought to be done but how seasonable and sound your Exhortations are that remains to be tried and it is not onely the carnal World as you speak that are doubtfull concerning your Calling and Office but it the best of the people whose eyes the Lord is opening to see and behold the false immitations of the Calling and Office of Ministers as you have stood for many Generations and it is true them that pleads Christs Cause they are cryed out upon and contended with but this fully belongs not to you though you apply it to your selves but it pertains more to others for the World speaks well of you as it use to do of false Prophets And you say We the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London do with earâ—…ess exhort the people of this City to awaken as out of Sleep and to lay to heart the great dangers that threatens you which you represent under a threefold consideration 1 The fear of the return of Popery 2 The distracted estate of Religion amongst us 3 Other symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your Heads Answ. That you are Ministers of the Gospel this is doubtful unto many and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary then can be given for it But this is not the present debate and therefore no more of it And what is the people of your Congregations yet asleep Have not you awakened them in so many years time Have you been preaching over them and taking their Money so long and are they yet to awaken as out of Sleep Will not the blame of this and the condemnation of it fall upon you their Watch-men who hath not yet awakened them And may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them who are left as asleep under all your preaching and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them Oh Friends will you consider and your people with you what you have been preaching and what they have been hearing for so long a time seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep and unawakened Now as to the first of your considerations The fear of the return of Popery for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it First The union of foreign Popish-Powers Secondly The vast numbers say you of Popish Emissaries and Jesuites that swarms amongst you Thirdly The vending and printing of so many Popish Books every year c. Answ. As for Popery I know it is Idolatry and their Church and Worship and every part thereof abomination to the Lord and the spirit that leads them is not the Spirit of Jesus and as for Popery it was never yet truly cleansed out of the Nation but there hath been and are great remainders yet standing which may indeed easily recover its former strength For is not the most part of the worship of the Church of England made up of such things as was first instituted and practised amongst the Papists witness the making Ministers by natural learning at Schools and Colledges and their maintenance by Tythes and yearly Stipends and their way of Parochial settlements are not all these things Papistical and witness sprinkling Infants calling it the Baptism into the Visible Church and witness the singing of Davids Psalms as now they are sung among you these things for the most part are of Popish institution and many other things also pertaining to your Church Religion and Ministry so that Popery was never clean cast out of the Nation though the Lord hath wounded it yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force so that while Tythes are pleaded for by you and those things practised by you it may indeed be feared the return of Popery seeing you stick so fast in those Practises which were of Popish institution and the cause of fear lies at your Door and upon your selves principally and if there be vast numbers of Popish Priests and Jesuites swarming amongst you if you be Ministers of Christ why do you not discover Wolves in Sheeps cloathing and fright them away Why do you not lift yp your Spiritual Weapons if you have them as the Apostles did whose Weapons were powerful and mighty through God and who shall bear the blame but you if Wolves in Sheeps cloathing tear your Flocks that is a sign you are lazy idle Shepherds and that your want the Power and Authority of God and when the Powers of the Earth fails you and your carnal Weapons are all broken then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of Popish Priests and Jesuites if there be any such among you look you to it for I know not any and if you know any by name and where they are you ought by your Law to discover them Now you say they are acting under the disguise of Sectaries and subtilly insinuating many of their Doctrines as teaching Iustification by Inherent Righteousness Perfection 〈◊〉 lawfulness in joyning in your Ordinances and nullity of your Ministry c. Answ. Now these that you call Sectaries may truly plead against you against your Church Worship Ministry Practises upon good grounds as for Justification by Inherent Righteousness it is a Doctrine of the Church of Christ that the Saints witnessed Christ and his Righteousness within them and that none are justified by any righteousness without them but who witness Christ revealed in them for all are Reprobate that do not witness Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. And as for Perfection that is the Doctrine of the Gospel and of Christ for the Apostles spake wisdom to them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. and Christ commanded them to be perfect Mat. 5. who never commanded impossibilities You might better have charged
Slow-Bellies these names and tearms did Christ the Apostles and Prophets use unto such as are some of the Ministry of this Nation and not with Revilings and Reproachings but with the Spirit of Authority from God that reproves the Wickedness of Prophets Teachers and People And tell me Have not some of you sued men at Law and cast them into Prison in this City because they would not give you Money and Tythes and Hire though such as have not heard you nor receiv'd you as Ministers nor received any thing from you and such as you did never any Work for have you sought Wages from and caused them to be imprisoned that would not give you And tell me in good earnest Can any less be said of such who thus walk but that they are insatiable Hirelings and as bad as Beal's Priests and even Cheaters and greedy dumb Dogs let the Witness in your own Consciences answer and you shall have a Reply Now I come to your third Particular which are other Causes and Symptoms of God's Wrath hanging over your heads the frequent disappointment from time to time of all Hopes of coming to any settlement in Government in the Nation occasioned by strange Confusions which is a clear Evidence that God hath in Displeasure darkened our Eyes and hid Counsel from us say you Answ. It is very true that from time to time of late dayes the Lord hath disappointed the purposes of men even concerning settling of Government and there have been almost strange Confusions in Changes But to what can this be attributed Have not your sins been as great a Cause of it as any others And have not you and your Generation been the Counsellors in all these Matters Were not some of you or your Brethren in Oliver's dayes and in Richard's dayes and in the Army's dayes and in the Parliaments dayes and are not you and your Brethren busie at this day in ordering a Settlement in Government in this Nation But the Lord hath hitherto disappointed you and them that you have counselled and he hath broken you into Confusion and Distraction and turned back even the proceedings of Rulers and Teachers and the spirit of deep Sleep and of Slumber is poured upon you all and the Vision of these things is as a sealed Book unto you even because of God's displeasure against you And in that you say Your Eyes are darkened and Counsel is hid from you In that you say true though to your own shame And what trust can be put in such Watchmen What Confidence can be placed by your people in you whenas you acknowledge that your Eyes are darkened and Counsel is hid from you The Scriptures mentioned by you do prove there was darkness upon the Land but Isaiah doth not say nor David that Counsel was hid from them or that their Eyes were darkened neither did ever the Apostles say so but witnessed That the Lord was their Light and in him their Eyes were opened and Counsel was revealed to them Secondly you say This sadly presages of Unchurching the Nation or the Departing of the Glory of God from you Answ. By Unchurching the Nation I suppose you mean making the Church no Church which if this can be done then the Gates of Hell may prevail against the Church contrary to the words of Christ who said The Gates of Hâ—â— should not prevail But I must tell you The Nation of England as to the general part of it hath been long and yet is unchurched that is ungathered by the Eternal Spirit into the true Fellowship in the Body of Christ for the Night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been over the World since the Apostles dayes and over this Nation in particular and your Churches have been no true Churches nor the people under your Ministry truly joyned and united in true Church-Order and under true Church-Government though I do not say but that there are Thousands of sincere People that love the Lord yet remaining among you And the Day of the Lord is appearing which will confound the Whore the false Church which hath been set up in this Nation and through the World and Assemblies which have had the Name of the Churches of Christ will be found to be otherwise in the Judgment of the Lord and all the false Ordinances Practices and Ministers must be thrown down that the Glory of the Lord may again appear Further You seem to charge your selves With leaving your first Love and former Zeal for the Truth and worship of God but the present Coldness and Indifferency in the things of God together with your Barrenness and unanswerable walking to the Gospel of Christ c. say you Answ. Though to your own shame yet do I believe this is truly acknowledged that you have lost your first Love and Zeal which once was in you in the dayes when you were persecuted under the Bishops you were full of Love and Zeal for the Truth and Worship of God according as it was made manifest and then you were sufferers your selves but now you are Causers of others to suffer and there is indeed much Coldness and Dryness and Barrenness amongst you and your People I do truly desire you may repent you thereof that if so be the Lord may heal you and your Walking indeed is Unanswerable to the Gospel of Christ to wit Your taking of Tythes and so much by the year for Preaching and suing people at the Law that will not give you Wages though you do no Work for them these with many other things which you practice is an unanswerable Walking to the Gospel of Christ and seeing you have confessed your sins in some measure Repent and sin no more that your Iniquities may be blotted out Again You complain of the prevalency of Atheism and doting upon Error Endless separations Common Ignorance Unbelief Prophaneness the Prejudice against wholsom Doctrine and all Order of Discipline in the Church and many other Confusions are upon us c. say you Answ. Alas so it is but where is the Blame Oh you Watch-men should not you have better preserved your Flocks should not you have fed them with Living Food should not you have been Examples of Righteousness and Truth unto them and should not you have nourished them with Knowledge and Understanding But because the Shepherds have been lazy and idle and fed themselves and not their Flocks but the Shepherds have rul'd over their Flocks with Force and Cruelty and their Ministry and Preaching hath been a very Burden and Oppression upon the People and therefore it is that their Flocks are divided into many Sects and Separations and great Confusions are in your Assemblies and among you even the sin of the people in some measure will be charged upon you their Teachers whose Flocks are run into Errors and Atheisms and despise wholesome Doctrine and are out of true Order and Church-Discipline even in the Traditions of Men Therefore oh that you Ministers would consider and
hath redeemed us into Peace and Comfort with God and one with another And as concerning our Principle about Magistracy and Government and obedience thereunto this I do declare 1. We do own and acknowledge Magistracy to be an Ordinance of God instituted of him for the punishing of Evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well and we acknowledge all subjection to Authority Magistracy and Government This is our Principle and hath ever been our Practice known through these Kingdoms that we are subject by doing or suffering to whatsoever Authority the Lord pleaseth to set over us without Rebellion Sedition Plotting or making War against any Government or Governors 2. That Government and Authority which is justly according unto God in all its Statutes and Ordinances we are and do engage to be subject thereunto by full Obedience to all the Commands and Injunctions of such Authority and Government whose Laws Ordinances and Commandments are grounded upon right Reason and Equity which leadeth to do to all men as we would be done unto and punish the contrary to such Government and Authority we are readily subject in all things and cases and we are for the Order and Assistance of such Government in all Righteousness 3. That Government which is contrary unto this which is Injustice commanding and requiring things contrary to the Law of God and imposing upon People in Matters and Cases contrary to Right Reason and Equity whose Commands are different to the Will of God yet to such Government we acknowledge subjection by patient suffering under all Penalties inflicted for disobedience to the Commands which we cannot perform by Obedience for Conscience sake And this is our Principle though an Authority and Government were never so Unjust in it self and in its exercise yet we may not plot nor contrive or make turbulent Insurrections to redeem our selves from such Government and Authority but we must commit our Cause to the Lord in such case of suffering under any unjust Commands of Men. 4. As concerning Church and Ministry and the Exercise of Religion We believe and acknowledge that Christ hath a Church upon Earth and a lawful Ministry and we are not Enemies to Church and Ministry and Gospel-Ordinances as we are falsly reputed by Men ignorant and slanderous but we only bear witness against the corruption and degeneration of the Church of Papists and Protestants so called wherein they are different and contrary to what the Churches of Christ were in the Apostles dayes they are different and contrary I assert to what the Churches of Christ once were in Ministry in its Call and Maintenance in Ordinances and Worship in Discipline and Government in all these things there is difference to what these things were in the true Churches in the Apostles dayes And our Principle is for the reforming of Ministry Church Government Discipline and Worship and not to destroy them 5. As concerning Imposing of Faith and Doctrine and Practices and Worship in Religion by the force of Laws and Penalties in the ignorance of mens Consciences or contrary to their Consciences We do say This Practice never was in the Apostles dayes but is an Intrusion of Antichrist and we bear Testimony against it not to be of God but contrary to him And that outward Government and Authority in Kingdoms and Nations is to be exercised over the outward man in things between man and man and not over the inward man in things between God and mans Conscience in spiritual Matters and Worship and Duty to God-wards No King nor Ruler upon Earth hath Power given him of God to exercise such Authority over the Consciences of Men in the Matters of God's Kingdom And further Religion and Church Government so set up and established by force upon Pains and Penalties can but reform a People into Hypocrisie and false Conformity and not into any real Performance of Religion or Duty to God And such Performance of Religion Church-Fellowship and Ordinances is not unto eternal Life but to the making of men two fold more the Children of the Devil 6. We do believe That it is the Convictions and Teaching of the Spirit of God that doth make men and People only truly Religious It is that only that perswades the Conscience from all Evil unto that which is Good and true Religion and the Worship of God and Duty towards him is not truly learned by Traditions of time Commandments of Men or Custom of Countries or the like but it is the Spirit of God and its Teachings in the Consciences of People that leadeth into all Truth according as Christ hath said so that the Way of forcing Religion and Duty to God upon People by force and outward Penalties this was never known among the Saints and Apostles of Christ. These things are presented to your Considerations The Lord give you a right Understanding of them and that you may walk in the way of your own Peace with God and Man E. B. Written in the 10th Moneth in Ireland 1660. SOME CONSIDERATIONS Presented unto the King of England c. Being an Answer unto a Petition and Address of the General Court of Boston in New-England presented unto the KING as is said Feb. last the Eleaventh Day 1660. Subscribed by Iohn Indicot the chief Persecutor there thinking thereby to cover themselves from the Blood of the Innocent OH King this my Occasion to present thee with these Considerations is very urgent and of great necessity even in the behalf of Innocent Blood hoping that my Work will find such Favour with thee as to induce thee to the reading and serious consideration hereof My Occasion is this Because of a Paper presented to thee called The humble Petition and Address of the General Court at Boston in New-England In which is contained divers Calumnies unjust Reproaches palpable Untruths and malicious Slanders against an innocent People whom they scornfully call Quakers whom for the Name of Christ's sake are made a Reproach through the World and by these Petitioners have been persecuted unto Banishment and Death It is hard to relate the Cruelties that have been committed against these People and acted upon them by these Petitioners they have spoyled their Goods imprisoned many of their Persons Whipped them cut off their Ears Burned them yea Banished and Murdered them and all this I aver and affirm before thee O King wholy unjustly and unrighteously and without the Breach of any just Law of God or Man but only for and because of difference in Iudgment and Practice concerning Spiritual things and without any Transgression of the Law of God or their own Laws saving that they made Laws against them on purpose to spoil their Goods imprison Persons cut off their Ears yea and kill them which Laws were made by them without any Power truly derived from the lawful Authority of England contrary to their Patent And now O King these same men have presented thee with a Petition in which is asserted very many
the King 's own former Promises 4. All these things considered and rightly understood by the King and his Council it will appear unto them in good Reason 1. That our Meetings are just and lawful in themselves because they are for the Worship of the Lord God and to wait upon him 2. They are according to the Example of the Apostles because the Scriptures prove the like Meetings 3. And they are not contrary to his own Promises and Tolleration that he gave for Six Moneths after his coming in because he said We should not suffer for our Religion if we lived Peaceably and we were not disturbed by Authority from him that we know of in our Meetings till this Occasion 4. It will appear That we ought in Justice Equity to have our lawful Meetings Protected and Preserved by the King's Authority and not prohibited because we are not guilty of that which occasioned this present Restraint but what we have suffered in this Case it hath been upon Suspition and without any just Cause on our part And for these Ends and Causes I plead on the behalf of the Innocent that we may enjoy peaceably our Meetings for the Exercise of God's Worship and not be prohibited in the King's Dominions under his Authority 5. But and if we are persecuted and imprisoned and made to suffer for this Cause of Meeting together to Worship God and Wait upon him in Conscience and Duty towards him and for following the Scriptures Example as the Saints of old as afore-mentioned we must only commit our Cause to the God of Heaven and in Patience suffer under whatsoever is unequally inflicted upon us for this matter if men shew the height of Oppression towards us and we must put on the Spirit of Long-suffering and Forbearance and leave Vengeance to the Lord who will in his season redress our Cause if that we are Persecuted for meeting together and for Worshipping of the Lord according as his Spirit perswades our Consciences and such our Sufferings are not for Evil-doing nor as Transgressors against God nor the King but as Servants of God we suffer and fot holding the Testimony of JESUS and a Good Conscience And thus I have brought the state of our Case as concerning our Meetings unto the Kings Knowledge and must leave it to his serious View and Happy will he be if he hath regard to the Afflicted but if he stop his Ear from the Cry of the Poor and suffer them to be destroy'd who shall plead for him or excuse him in the Day of the Lord when He comes to Iudgment to reward every man according to his Deeds CHAP. III. The Case Stated and Pleaded concerning Tythes as paid among the Jews and also among the Christians and the Cause why we Refuse to pay them at this day 1. WE do acknowledge That Tythes as instituted given and received in the Law of Moses amongst the Iews and according to the Commandment of God were of Heavenly Ordination and were for that Holy Use and End of maintaining the Levitical Priesthood and the Poor the Widdows and the Strangers in Israel and we know that whilst that Levitical Priesthood of Signs and Types and Figures was yet unfinished and unfulfilled by Christ Jesus the Everlasting Priest that Law that gave and received Tythes was in force and it was sinful against God and contrary to his Law in any of Israel to with-hold their Tythes and not to pay them and such as did robbed God and the Poor and the Prophet complained against them for then the Ordination of Tythes was of God and the Practice and End of them was good and blessed But that Law and Priesthood that gave and received them is finished and ended with all the Types and Shadows of the first Covenant Heb. 7. 12. and Christ Jesus the everlasting Priest of God is come in whom is ended the first Priesthood that took Tythes and that Law that gave them and he hath put an end to Tythes Temples Priests-Office under the Law among the Iews and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Types and Figures and First Covenant and is an High-Priest forever and the Everlasting Substance of all Shadows pertaining to the first Covenant and hath finished them and ended them even that Law and Ordinance that gave and received Tythes and that Priesthood to whom Tythes pertained so that though it was Unlawful in the first Covenant to with-hold the payment of Tythes yet that Covenant being ended and that Law and Priesthood and another Covenant and Priesthood established to whom the Law of God allows not the Tythes of mens Estates it seems now to be unlawful to pay receive or demand Tythes and for good Conscience sake we cannot do it 2. We cannot now pay Tythes according to the first Covenant nor uphold any part of the first Priesthood that stood in Types and Shadows nor submit to that Law by any Obedience to it which once gave and received Tythes seeing Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh who hath ended all that Covenant with every thing that pertaineth thereunto and we believe in Jesus Christ as the Everlasting Substance and receive the Law by which we walk in all things unto him and not from Abraham nor Moses For he is with us that is greater then they whose Law and Example we must follow in the Administration of the Gospel and not the Law and Example of Abraham and Moses in the First Covenant who did but Prophesie of Christ and did not witness him fully come but dyed in the Faith Now if we should pay Tythes according to the First Covenant and so uphold any part of that Priesthood which took Tythes which was but a Type of Christ the Everlasting PRIEST then we should deny Jesus Christ to be come in the Flesh and turn back again to the Law and to the Iews Ordinances and prove our selves Unbelievers and Antichristian for he that denies Christ to be come in the Flesh is an Antichrist 1 Iohn 4. 3. and we may as well turn back to Circumcision Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings as to pay Tythes being all pertaining to the First Covenant and Priesthood which whomsoever doth uphold denieth Jesus Christ to be come in the Flesh and so are of Antichrist But we believe Christ is come and we have received him as the End and Finishing of the first Priesthood and we believe in him as the Everlasting Substance who hath put an end to Tythes Temples Burnt-Offerings c. and we confess unto him as our Judge and Law-giver and have renounced all Shaddows pertaining to the first Covenant whereof one was Tythes and for Conscience sake and that we may continue in the Faith of Christ the Substance and not deny him therefore it is that we refuse and cannot pay Tythes for we are Christians and Believers and not Iews nor Children of the first Covenant 3. And there is no Example by any of the Apostles or Saints in all the New Testament That ever any of the
execute Laws in these Kingdoms and in all the Kingdoms of the World and such would be a Blessing in the Earth and the Governments under such and in the Execution of their Hands would be Blessed and Prosperous and all good Men would have cause to rejoyce therein and all Evil-doers and Transgressors would be limitted and made afraid if so be the Laws be Just Holy and Righteous and according to Equity and the Holy Law of God in all things and the due Execution of such Laws committed to Just and Righteous and Meek Men that love Judgment Mercy and Truth and would execute them in the Earth Then the happy and blessed Government will be exalted and Truth and Righteousness would reign as Judge on the Throne and in this shall all Nations and Kingdoms be prosperous and blessed when it cometh to pass 3. And as for this present Authority and Government now in being under the Name of King Charles the Second we do believe and acknowledge That according to the Purpose and Will of God and of his bringing to pass this present Government and Authority is set up and into its present being established The Lord I say hath suffered it to be effected for the Cause and End and Time and Purpose known to himself and not to mortal man And thus this Government and Authority is of God being brought in and set up in opposition to and for the reproof and correction of such as went before who had neglected Mercy Truth Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth till it was time for the Lord to cast them out and reprove them and make them a Desolation before their Enemies and this Authority was judged of the Lord fit for that use and end and reserved to be brought in as a Rod of God in his Hand to correct and smite many People And it is right in the sight of the Lord that this Authority should have this time and season to be exercised in these Kingdoms to try and prove both it self and all under it if so be that Truth Justice and Righteousness Mercy and Peace may be brought forth it these Kingdoms through it that God may establish it for long continuance and it is now a trying and proving to make it self happy and blessed or otherwise to bring it self into contempt and dishonour and accordingly as Truth Justice Mercy Judgment and Peace is brought forth by it or the contrary brought forth by it so must the Just and Equal Effects and Reward of it be from the Hand of God and it is only just Judgment Mercy and Truth Righteousness Relieving the Oppressed and the doing thereof that can alone make the Person and Government of the King Happy Blessed and Honourable in this World and hereafter and the contrary if it be brought forth must needs bring Confusion Discontents and all miserable Judgments and to say no more of it this is my present Judgement of the King and his Authority both in respect of their coming in and the Cause thereof and the Fruits and Effects that must follow which is not otherwise Determined of God but according to Desert and Merit of walking in Truth Justice and Righteousness or in walking otherwise 4. Our Obedience to this Authority must be according as before declared in the Plea of the first Case concerning Allegiance to wit For Conscience sake to God we are bound by his Iust Law in our Hearts to yeild Obedience to it in all Matters and Cases actively or passively that is to say in all just and good Commands of the King and the good Laws of the Land relating to our outward Man we must be obedient by doing and not withhold our Just Obedience but in the Cases of Conscience to wit in the Matters of Duty to God and of Worship Faith and Religion towards him we must only be obedient to God for it is he that teacheth and requireth Obedience in all those things and if any thing be commanded of us by the present Authority which is not according to Equity Iustice and a good Conscience towards God to be done by us we must in such Cases obey God only and deny active Obedience for Conscience sake and patiently suffer what is inflicted upon us for such our Disobedience to Men and we must choose Obedience to God rather than man though we suffer because thereof And this is our Principle and hath ever been our Practice to obey Authority by doing or suffering not disputing whether the Authority in it self be absolute of God or not yet being an Authority over us we are to obey it either by doing or suffering because it is an Authority and not to plot rebel or rise up with carnal Weapons against it and thus must our Obedience be to the King and his Government And if that in any thing of the Commands of the King we cannot be obedient for Conscience sake in the Cases of Conscience and when ought is required different or contrary to the Law of God we have Example hereof in the Scriptures of many of the Servants of God that could not in all things yield Obedience to the Laws of Nations and Commands of Kings when they required ought to be obeyed contrary to their pure Consciences as in the Case of the three Children Dan. 3. they could not obey the Law and Command of the King though it was absolute but refused Obedience and suffered for it and Daniel also himself disobeyed the King's Law and Commands Dan. 6. and the Apostles the same when they were commanded by the Authority of that City and County To preach no more in the Name of IESUS Act. 4. 17 18. They did not obey the Command of the Rulers in that Case but went on and preached Iesus in disobedience and contrary to the Command of the Rulers And by these and many other Examples it is apparent that it is justifiable in the sight of God and that it was practised by the Servants of God in former Ages even Disobedience to Kings and Authority in the Matters and Cases commanded contrary to the Law of God and a good Conscience and their Example may justifie such now in the same Practice in the same Case if they walk therein by the same Principle 5. And thus it is manifest That if we at any time be found not in full obedience by doing in all Cases and Things to the Laws and Authority of this Kingdom it is not out of contempt unto or Rebellion against the King's Person or Government it is not I say on that account but for good Conscience sake and because we must obey God rather than man when and where their Com mands stand in opposition the one to the other and this is that we may keep our Consciences clear in the sight of God from disobedience against him which is our care and endeavour by all means and when any thing is required of us to be done which we cannot do with a clear Conscience in
practised among the Papists we have no Command or Example for it in all the Scriptures only the Apostle exhorted to confess your faults one to another but no mention of distinction of persons as if there was an Order of men among the Saints Ordained for Confession to be made unto as is among the Papists practised But such kind of Inventions are among them and all that gain-say them in their Wayes must be burned as Hereticks and this is the way that the Papists do uphold their Religion not by sound Arguments and by the Spirit and Power of God but by killing such as will not Believe and Practise as they do Doct. 6. That it is not necessary or profitable to have any Church or Chappel to pray or perform Divine Service in Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. As for the Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. and the Body of Christ is the Church Ephes. 1. 23. the Saints of Christ that have Believed in the Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as may be read and in this Church of Christ wheresoever come together is the Divine Holy Acceptable Service of God performed in the Spirit and in the Truth And as for Houses of Wood and Stone builded and called Churches and Chappels which Papists have builded to perform their Service in these are Idolatrous Places and not true Churches God dwells not in Temples made with Hands as it is written And though a man affirm That God may be worshipped and served as well in any Place as in your Churches and Chappels and that such Places are not necessary but God may be served in other Places This is no Error deserving Fire and Faggot as the Papists do affirm and Practice Doctrines 7. and 8. That burying in the Church-Yard is unprofitable and vain That Holy Dayes Instituted by the Church are not to be observed and kept in reverence in as much as all Dayes are alike Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. There is no respect of Places with God neither are the Dead more or less acceptable to him notwithstanding the Place of Burial whether it be on the Land or cast into the Sea if occasion so happen as some times it doth The Patriarchs of old had Places appointed and purchased for Burial of their Dead as it is at this day among the Lord's People but that the Church-yard so called is more Holy than another Place as the Papists do account This we believe not nor can it be proved to us by Scripture or sound Reason And as for Holy Dayes instituted and observed is but a meer Invention of the Romish Church without any ground from the Apostles and it is no sin against God not to observe them and all dayes are as to God alike holy in His sight without respect of one or another And for the Papists to invent Practices without Example in the Scriptures as Religious and then to impose them by force upon all People and to kill and burn such as Hereticks as cannot conform thereunto How Impious Oppressive and Antichristian this manner of work is let all sober People judge And this is but a mocking of God for the Papists to profess Holy Dayes and with a pretence of God's Worship to observe them as Holy when as more Rudeness Drunkenness Wantonness and Ungodliness is usually committed that Day which they profess to keep Holy than is on the other dayes beside And this is manifest to all People that thus the Papists do mock God in their exercise of keeping Holy Dayes Doctrines 9. and 10. That it is sufficient to Believe though a man do no good Works at all That no Humane Lawt or Constitutions do oblige a Christian Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. It is sufficient to believe in Iesus Christ and that Believing is a good Work and if a man truly believes he cannot but bring forth by that Faith good Works and it is impossible for a true Believer in Christ but to do good Works if a Man do no good Works he is not a Believer For Faith without Works is dead and that is no true Belief which is without good Works and a Christian one that is truly so is obliged and bound by the Law of God To do all Good and to forsake all Evil and the Laws of men they are subject to them all for Conscience sake by performing them or suffering under them And as for Humane Inventions of the Papists which they bind on the Consciences of Men upon loss of Life or Estate or Damnation These things we say do not oblige the Conscience nor any Laws or Constitutions of men do oblige Christians to Obedience which are not truly grounded upon the Law of God Doct. 11. That God never gave Grace or Knowledge to a great Person or Rich Man and that they in no wise follow the same Answ. This is a false Doctrine for God gave Grace to all The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men as it is written which Grace teacheth the Saints to deny all Ungodliness and the Wicked turn the Grace of God into Wantonness but the true Knowledge of God is given but to a few and not many Wise men after the flesh are called but God chooseth the Poor and Contemptible as saith Paul to confound the Wise and Mighty of this World and yet God gives Knowledge to Rich and Poor without respect of Persons as it pleaseth Him Doct. 12. That any Lay-man may preach by his own Authority without Licence of the Ordinary Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. All in the true Church and that are of the Church may Prophesie and Speak in the Church one by one as Paul saith without distinction of Titles such as the Papists use Clergy and Lay-men and such like Terms of their own Inventions without Example from the Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes for the Apostle saith If any thing be revealed to another that standeth by let the first hold his Peace for ye may all Prophesie one by one that all may be edified And again Peter saith As every man hath received of the Gift of the Spirit let him administer the same one to another Thus it is manifest by the Scriptures That every Member of the true Church of Christ may Preach by the Authority of the Spirit of God as that moveth and leadeth and this was the Example of the holy men of God declared in Scriptures Elisha that was a Plow-man and Amos that was a Herds-man and Peter that was a Fisher-man these and such as these whom the Papists would have called Lay-men did Preach and Teach without any Licence from men but as the Lord Commanded them who said Ier. 23. He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully and this without respect of Persons and without distinction of Names of Lay-men or otherwise though contrary to this the Papists would limit the Holy
Imposing upon the Flock of God or forcing in Religious Matters for ye see the Elders might not be constrained or forced to take the Oversight of the Flock neither having the Oversight of it might they be â—… 〈…〉 â—y noâ—◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 Heritage nor use any 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Apostle and the conâ—… 〈…〉 saith he Elâ—…â—or â—or 〈…〉 upon them in â—…igor or 〈…〉 Elders and Ministers overseeing 〈…〉 oversee God's Heritage 〈…〉 self-denial and in all th◠〈…〉 hereby with the Word of 〈…〉 wards and not ruling over them as 〈…〉 Lordship by forcing and 〈…〉 imprisoning â—nd 〈…〉 as hath been 〈…〉 â—ver the Heritage of God 〈…〉 Lords over the Flock 〈…〉 example of Scriptures and 〈…〉 Gentleness and good Example 〈…〉 Peter's Instructions Thus it is clearly manifest throughout 〈…〉 the way of imposing Religiâ—â— and 〈…〉 Worship and Church-Government in the dispensâ—… of 〈◊〉 Gospel as aforesaid is contrary to the commands of Chriâ—… 〈…〉 example of Scriptures and is not of God nor according unto him And now I shall â—â—â—w in the fourth place of whom â—it is 〈◊〉 â—y whose Example this violence used and prsecution unto 〈…〉 on and also the beginning of impoâ—… 〈◊〉 force â—â—ongst Christians 4. All this persecution 〈…〉 been in the world as imprisoâ—ments 〈…〉 unto death and grievous Afflicâ—… hath been of 〈…〉 through the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Envy of the Devil against God 〈…〉 that Persecution 〈…〉 before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ in the 〈◊〉 it 〈…〉 the particulars of it as it is signified 〈…〉 Transactions in 〈…〉 â—â—â—wledged by all that such cruel Persecutions were of the Dâ—â—il And again in the days of Christ and his Apostles 〈◊〉 was the force and 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 practised â—â—on the true 〈◊〉 Christians by â—â—e Jeâ—â— and 〈…〉 which was in â—licted upon Chriâ—… Apostles and the Christians was imposiâ—ion and 〈…〉 Religion 〈…〉 so much for compâ—…ing them to any thing as from that way of Riâ—… and 〈…〉 which they walked they were â—…ded 〈…〉 in the Name of Iâ—sus and were â—â—prisâ—nâ—â—â—anished and greatly 〈◊〉 by the Iâ—â—â—s that 〈◊〉 proâ—… People 〈…〉 Religion 〈…〉 for the â—… I need 〈◊〉 mâ—ntion the particular proâ—fs for this thing 't is so clear 〈…〉 and elsewhere how the Primitive Christians were forced and impoâ—â—â— upon by cruel Laws and violent Persecutions for their Christian Religion sake all 〈…〉 out of 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 in the heart 〈◊〉 wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goâ—… by all â—â—t 5. This Way and Practice of imposing upâ—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 Pesecution 〈◊〉 the same wasâ—…â—…gst Chrâ—… nor â—…cticed by any called Christians 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Faith which some did 〈…〉 afterterwards For even in the Apoâ—… 〈◊〉 some were gone ouâ— from them into the Way of Câ—iâ— that killed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and into the Way of Balaam that went for Gift and Rewards 〈◊〉 these were Apostates 〈◊〉 the true Church and they were 〈…〉 and â—uch liâ—â— as Paul to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as these were alâ—â—â—dy sprung up in the first Age and they grew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second Ages And these were the Antichristâ— and â—â—lse Proâ—… whith Iohn 〈◊〉 were gone out from the true Church into the World in his 〈◊〉 and these deceived the World by the Form of Godliness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Power and Spirit of Christ And the Apostates from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were over spread in many Nations and grown 〈◊〉 were 〈◊〉 Sea and the Earth out of which the Beast arose Rev. 13. And it was 〈…〉 War with the Saints and to overcoâ—◠〈…〉 worship him and he should CAUSE the â—â—rth and 〈◊〉 that dwell therein to worship and 〈◊〉 should CAUSE 〈…〉 should be killed and 〈◊〉 should CAUSE all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Rich and Poor Bond and Free to receive â—â—s Mark c. And this Beast was the Authority of Antichrist that arose among the Apostaâ—â—â— and the false Prophets that thus Caused and Compelled all to worship the Beast and his Image Mark how often the word CAUSED is used in that Chapter which is Compelled or Forced and it was the Antichrist the Beast that did it the Authority that arose among the Aposâ—… Christians that were gone from the true Church and this was the first that we read of any Forcing or Compelling to Worship or persecuting about Worship and Imposing about the same since the dayes of the Apostles through Ages amongst them called Christians and here was the beginning of Imposing by 〈◊〉 and Violent Laws in the matters of Worship and Religion amongst the People called Christians and one Sect and Sort according to its Authority imposed by Laws and Force upon another causing and compelling one another to worship and believe according to his Form and Image and as any Sect of Christians gained outward Authority over others that same has caused and forced all others by outward violence into Conformity to its Way and Worship and this hath been amongst the People called Christians in the Apostacy ever since Antichrist and his power rose up amongst them and thus and at this time begâ—n first the imposing of Worship and persecuting about the same amongst Christianâ— And thus 't is manifest to be of Antichrist and of the Wicked one and not of the Lord. 6. By what is said it is plain That all in this present Age who impose by force of Laws and compel to worship and persecute about the same are not in the Example of Christ or his Apostles or any the good Primitive Christians but in so doing are in the Example of the Persecutors of the holy Prophets and in the Example of the cruel Iews that killed Christ and persecuted the Saints and in the Example of the cruel Heathens that violently persecuted the Christians in diverâ— Ages and Countries and are indeed of Antichrist and of the Beast that arose up against the Saints and made War against them and such are all they that do impose upon the Persons Estaâ—â—s and Conscienâ—â—s of â—…n at this day upon the account aforesâ—… And this is worthy of â—ll meâ—â— serious Consideration And now in the next place I shall proceed to shew how 〈◊〉 and Unreasonable it is for any called Christians to impose â—pon the Consciences of others and to force them by Laws and Commandments in the Matters of 〈◊〉 and to persecute â—â—out the sâ—â—e 1. Iâ— it unrighteous because it is an intruding upon the 〈◊〉 and Priviledge of God and seems to be a derogating from his Honour Power and Domiâ—… which properly is in himself and pertains to him alone and not unto mortal man which is to give Laws to Conscience â—nd to exercise it in all 〈◊〉 of Religion respecting his Worship Duty and Service and to perswade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consciencâ—â— by his Spirit to follow him and observe all things which he â—…quires in Faith and Worship This Power is only proper to God alone and to him pertaineth and to no other And therefore for any man or earthly Powers of man to give Laws and Rules to Conscience and to impose upon men in the